Who’s Behind Zubeen Garg’s Tragic Death? Two More Arrests Deepen Mystery
Bandmate and co-singer held, taking arrests to four, as SIT probes mysterious yacht party death.
Assam Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested singer Zubeen Garg's bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta in connection with the musician's mysterious death, sources confirmed to NDTV on Thursday. The duo's detention brings the total number of arrests to four, intensifying scrutiny over the events at a yacht party during the NortheastIndia Festival on September 19. Garg, a 52-year-old Assamese icon renowned for his soulful folk-rock fusion and hits like "O Mur Apunar Desh", was found floating face down in the water after a swim, sparking immediate suspicions of foul play despite initial reports suggesting drowning.
Goswami and Mahanta, both present at the ill-fated gathering off Singapore's coast, were interrogated for six days prior to their arrests. SIT sources revealed that video footage captured Goswami swimming perilously close to Garg, while Mahanta allegedly recorded the incident on her cellphone, raising questions about their roles and awareness during the crisis. The arrests follow Wednesday's detention of Garg's manager, Siddharth Sharma, and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who face joint questioning as the probe unfolds. All four suspects are in custody, with police piecing together timelines from witness statements, CCTV, and digital evidence to determine if negligence, conspiracy, or worse contributed to the tragedy.
The case escalated dramatically on Thursday when Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta were formally charged under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder, alongside culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy, and causing death by negligence. SIT head Munna Gupta, Special Director General of Assam's Criminal Investigation Department, confirmed the upgrades but withheld details, stating, "The investigation is going on, and I cannot share details at this time." The shift from accidental death to potential homicide has stunned fans and the Northeast music community, where Garg was a cultural ambassador, blending Assamese traditions with Bollywood appeal across a 25-year career that earned him national awards.
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Garg's wife, Garima Garg, expressed measured faith in the process amid mounting grief, telling ANI, "I have full faith that we will receive justice through our legal system... We will soon learn what really happened that day, and we want to know who is guilty of what." The SIT is awaiting Singaporean approval for an evidence-gathering visit, which could yield crucial forensic insights from the yacht site. As tributes pour in—over 10,000 mourners attended his Guwahati funeral on September 21—this probe tests Assam's resolve against high-profile cover-ups, echoing past celebrity death controversies like Sushant Singh Rajput's. With digital footprints and international cooperation key, closure remains elusive for a family and fandom yearning for truth.
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